Agenda

That the Minutes of the proceedings of the Extraordinary and Ordinary meetings of Council held on 25 July 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair of Council Business (or other person presiding) (Minutes attached).

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Council.

To receive any announcements or communications from the Chair of Council Business, the Executive Leader, Members of the Executive Cabinet or the Chief Executive.

To consider any questions submitted by Members of the public in accordance with Standing Orders 31.12 and 31.13.

To receive the minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 30 August 2017. 

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Overview (Audit) Panel held on 31 August 2017.

To consider the attached report of the First Deputy (Performance and Finance) and the Assistant Director (Finance) and to agree the following recommendations:

(a)       That Council agrees that it is satisfied with the appointment of Mazars LLP to audit the accounts of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council for five years from 2018/19 following the procurement process  undertaken by Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA) and in line with the approval given by Council on the 28 February 2017

(b)       That Council agrees  the appointment of Mazars LLP subject to the conclusion of the Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA) process outlined in 4.5 of the report.

To consider the attached report of the Executive Leader/Director (Governance and Pensions) and to agree the recommendations set out in the report.

That Council agrees the changes to the Statutory and Proper Officer appointments as set out on the attached document to reflect changes to the Council’s senior management.

That support is given to adopt new powers contained under the Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 into the Council’s Constitution.

Motion in the name of Councillor Sweeton:

That this Council notes the announcement on 20 July 2017 by Conservative Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP that the electrification of the Sheffield-Kettering, Oxenholme-Windermere and Cardiff-Swansea railway lines will not take place and the Transport Secretary’s comments as part of this announcement that full electrification of the Manchester-Leeds railway line may be too difficult.

Council further notes the announcement on 24 July 2017 of the approval of the £30 billion Crossrail 2 scheme in London.

Northern Powerhouse rail, an investment programme which included the now cancelled electrifications and the electrification of the Manchester-Leeds line, was pledged on page 24 of the Conservative Party manifesto for the 2017 General Election.  Crossrail was not featured at all in the Conservative Party manifesto.

This Council supports the electrification of the east-west transpennine railway between Manchester and Leeds. Council recognises the benefits that the electrification of this line, which passes through the Borough of Tameside, would deliver for local people.

This Council is further asked to note that whilst Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s has announced at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week that an allocation of £300m of investment will be made in Northern rail connectivity he failed to recommit to the  electrification across the Pennines, which was originally promised in 2011 and the travelling public in the North is having to put up with sub-standard rail services right now and deserve a better answer on when Manchester to Leeds services will improve.

Council resolves to:

(i)         Ask the Chief Executive to write to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling setting out our support for the full electrification of this line.

(ii)        Call on our three MPs to lobby the government to deliver the planned electrification as promised.

To answer questions (if any) asked under Standing Order 17.2, for which due notice has been given by a Member of the Council.

To consider any other items which the Chair of Council Business (or other person presiding) is of the opinion shall be dealt with as a matter of urgency.